Year in Review: The 7 Best Metal Roofing Articles of 2018

A look back at some of the most popular metal roofing and wall system topics we covered in 2018.

Whether you’re new to the Metal Roofing Learning Center, semi-familiar with our blog, or are a long-time subscriber, we wanted to start out by thanking you for being a part of Sheffield Metals. If you’ve read any of our articles, watched any of our videos, or downloaded any of the checklists or e-books from our website: Thank you!

In fact, we created the Metal Roofing Learning Center to answer the questions you’ve asked us about metal roofing, engineered roofing systems, accessories, best practices, industry standards, and more.

Our goal has always been to partner with industry experts and release educational resources designed to:

Help contractors and manufacturers sell their metal roofing products and services.

Assist and educate home and property owners through the buying process.

Provide resources for architects and designers to specify the right metal roof and wall systems.

By the end of 2018, we reached nearly 230 blog subscribers (with 100,000+ blog views), and over 500 YouTube subscribers (with 400,000+ minutes of watched videos). In 2019, we’ll continue to publish brand new content because we receive great feedback from those who read, watch, and listen.

If you missed out on some of our articles or still need to subscribe to the blog, we’ve got you covered! This article will catch you up on the seven most popular and best-performing articles of 2018.

The Best Metal Roofing Articles of 2018

Knowing if a metal roof is the best choice for you can be easy for some and difficult for others. But doing your research and knowing what to look for can shorten the process and lead to valuable discussions that could help you decide what type of roof may be best for you.

In this article, we don’t go into comparisons between the different types of roofs, like shingles versus metal. Instead, we focus on the buyer and the individual characteristics or interests that might make them a good fit for a metal roof.

In “7 Reasons a Metal Roof is the Best Choice for Your Home or Business,” we’ll cover:

If you’ve already purchased a painted metal roof or are looking to buy one, you may know that metal roofing is a significant investment that comes with a lot of great benefits, including longevity and durability. But what if we told you that one thing left undone could cause your roof to fail or need an early replacement?

And that one thing is cleaning your metal roof.

Yes, it’s true. Cleaning your painted metal roof has more benefits than one, but you need to make sure it’s done correctly and doesn’t cause harm to the metal or accessories.

In this article, we dive into:

Why a metal roof needs to be cleaned

The best methods of cleaning a painted metal roof

Methods and tools that shouldn’t be used to clean a metal roof

Important considerations to keep in mind before, during, and after cleaning

Going through the process of finding a contractor for any project is stressful. Finding the right metal roofing contractor is no exception.

As much as we’d like to tell you that choosing the best pool of metal roofing contractors is seamless, it shouldn’t be an overlooked step of buying and installing a metal roof. But here at Sheffield Metals, we want to help guide you through the journey to choosing the right contractor for you and your individual roofing structure.

In this article, we’ll focus on how to find the best pool of contractors to get quotes from and the methods of weeding out the contractors who may be a bad fit for your roofing project.

Expect to learn:

How to find good metal roofing contractors

What to expect during contractor consultations

What questions you should be asking metal roof contractors

A list of signs that help indicate a metal roof contractor is reliable

Choosing the right contractor is just one piece of the metal roof installation puzzle. The next part is the actual installation of the roof, which can be just as stressful. This is especially true if it’s your first home/business or the first time you’ve ever purchased a roof.

Some of the most common worries we hear about from customers include:

How do I need to prepare my property for a metal roof installation?

Does someone need to be at my home/building at all times during the installation?

Where will the contractors put their vehicles, equipment, disposal units, etc.?

How can I prepare my pets, children, or neighbors for the loud noises?

Who is working on my home or business? Who is my primary contact?

How long will the install take?

And the list goes on and on.

In this article, we help ease some of that stress by educating you about what to expect before, during, and after the installation of a metal roof.

You might be thinking: “How different can standing seam metal roofing and exposed fastener metal roofing really be?” The answer is: Very different.

While each system utilizes some of the same materials and ultimately performs the same function of covering and protecting a structure, standing seam and exposed fastener systems are drastically different. Both metal roofing types have their pros and cons, but if you know what you’re looking for and expecting when you go to purchase the roof, you’ll be better prepared to make the right choice.

Many standing seam metal roofing profiles offer a similar look to one another.

Beneath the aesthetic features of profiles are where the real differences tend to be, most of which revolve around the seam, how the panels are attached or secured to the roof deck, and how well each one performs in severe weather circumstances.

In other words: The panels may look the same, but could have different warranties, slope requirements, testing, roof deck assembles, and so on.

In “Review of Metal Roof & Wall Panel Profiles Offered by Sheffield Metals,” we go into detail (including the specifications, advantages, and disadvantages) with four of the most popular panel profile systems that we offer:

Whether you’re a home or property owner looking into your roofing underlayment options or a contractor merely staying educated on underlayments, these are just a few of the questions you might be asking yourself.

Two main underlayment options can be used for metal roofing systems: Synthetic or felt paper. Both make great choices, but there are some distinct differences to keep in mind and consider before you buy.

In this article, expect to discover:

What synthetic underlayment is

The advantages and disadvantages of synthetic

What felt underlayment is

The advantages and disadvantages of felt

Wrapping it All Up

Again, thank you for everyone who has consumed any piece of educational content that we've put together. Another thank you to everyone who liked, shared, or commented on any article, video, or download that we've posted on any of our social channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook, or YouTube.

From all of us at Sheffield Metals, we want to wish you a happy holiday season, a happy new year, and a prosperous 2019!

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Sheffield Metals is a leader in the distribution of coated and bare metal products, as well as Engineered Standing Seam Metal Roof (SSMR) & Wall Systems. We specialize in providing painted Galvalume® and aluminum for the architecturally driven metal panel industry. Sheffield Metals has the ability to meet a wide array of needs with more than 50 colors continuously stocked. We can also match virtually any custom color to suit a particular project.